Laminated candy products consist of layers of hard candy and a fatty paste or fluid such as peanut butter which is typically coated with chocolate or another coating. The conventional process for producing a laminated candy product involves heating candy syrup in a precooker to form a candy mass and boiling the resulting candy mass to produce a viscous material having a low moisture content. Typically the moisture content is about 4-5%. The resulting boiled candy mass is discharged from the cooker and passed through an aeration screw to aerate the candy mass. The aerated candy mass is then placed on a steel tempering band which cools the candy mass to a specified temperature such that the candy mass remains pliable. The aerated candy mass is then sheeted and the candy sheet is coated with a layer of fatty paste. The layer of fatty paste and aerated candy may be sprinkled with rework prepared from reusable products from previous candy bar forming operations. The layer of candy mass and fatty paste is then rolled onto itself to give a thicker candy mass with more layers. The resulting rolled product is then passed to a rope forming machine where an outer layer of boiled candy mass is applied. The plastic mass is then formed into a continuous rope and then formed and cut into individual bars. The whole system is continuous. The resulting candy bar centers can be coated with chocolate or other coatings to produce the final candy product. An example of this process is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,679,496.
The texture of the candy product is a result of the laminated structure. For example, a candy product with a laminated structure generally has a crunchy texture. It is desirable to produce a laminated structure that has consistent texture throughout the product. The conventional process for manufacturing laminated candy products, however, does not always provide this consistency. For example, the conventional process often leads to areas with large masses of hard candy that do not have a crunchy texture but instead are more like a solid candy mass. Thus, there is a need for a process for making laminated candy products that produces a product with a more consistent texture. The present invention provides such a process.